Two full supermoons to light up August sky – here’s the best way to see them
Australian stargazers can feast their eyes on two supermoons this month – here’s when to see them.
Australian stargazers are in for a treat this month, with two spectacular astronomical events set to light up the night sky.
There will be two full moons in August – one on August 2 and the other on August 31 – and both will be supermoons – when the moon is closest to Earth.
On these dates, the moon will only be about 363,000km from our planet.
What makes it a ‘supermoon’?
At is furthest, the moon sits about 405,000km away, meaning stargazers will be able to see it more than 30,000km closer than usual.
The moon will appear around 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter during this month’s full moon events.
However, the moon itself won’t change size; it’ll only appear bigger because it is closer to us.
The supermoon on August 31 is expected to be the biggest moon of the year.
How can I see the ‘supermoon’?
The moon will be 100 per cent full at about 4.31am AEST on August 2.
In Melbourne, the moon will be full at 4.31am, with a cloudy evening set to clear by midnight.
There is a slight chance of rain overnight, but this shouldn’t affect view of the full moon.
Sydney viewers might be stuck behind a layer of cloud, which is expected to settle at midnight.
Adelaide stargazers will be able to see the moon clearly, reaching a full moon at 4.01am local time, with a mostly clear night ahead.
Cloud is forecast at midnight in Perth, but should clear by 3am.
It might be a bit trickier to see the full supermoon in Brisbane, with mostly cloudy conditions forecast for after 3am.
However, the best time to see a supermoon is just after moonrise or when the moon is closest to the horizon.
The lower the full moon is, the brighter and bigger it looks.
According to NASA, the change in brightness won’t be visible to the human eye.
“Looking around you when the full moon is high in the sky and there are no other lights around, the differences in ground illumination are indistinguishable to our eyes,” NASA said.
The last supermoon occurred in July.
After August, the next supermoon event will be in late September.
There are usually only three to four supermoons each year.
Most capital cities will have a clear evening, making it the perfect night to go out and see the full moon.
What is a “blue moon”?
The blue moon isn’t when the moon shines blue, although it does sound deceiving.
A blue moon is the name used to describe a month that has two full moons, like August.
According to NASA, the event is pretty rare, only happening once every 2½ years.
‘Uncharted territory’: NASA’s wild trip to sun
The probe will travel to “uncharted territory”, flying closer to the fiery surface of the sun than any human-made object has before.
‘Strange lights’ spark panic across US
Strange lights have been spotted across American skies for weeks on end – and now, the panic is well and truly spreading across the nation.
Stark warning as flesh-eating disease spreads
A gruesome flesh-eating bacteria – suspected to be transmitted by an iconic animal – is spreading in one Aussie state, and health officials are warning everyone is at risk.